


Feast of Floralia

by books4belle



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: (he's not really dead tho), F/F, Femslash, Fluff, Minor Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Minor Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Minor Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Prom, oops I killed leo, that's pretty much it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-04 15:30:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11558115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/books4belle/pseuds/books4belle
Summary: Reyna's determined to enjoy her last Feast of Floralia dance at Minerva Academy, even if her date might not make it.Demigods at Prom. Theyna Fluffity fluff fluff fluff





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this over a year ago. It's supposed to have more chapters, one of which is half finished and may be added at some point. But I found it in my Google drive and it's pretty cute, so I decided to post what I have so far.
> 
> There are illustrations of the girls and their dresses [ on my tumblr ](http://goodforharpies.tumblr.com/post/163212216530/so-these-are-the-illustrations-for-my-new-fic-the) that I made using the[Velvet Fashion dollmaker](http://www.azaleasdolls.com/dressupgames/velvet-fashion.php) on Azalea Dolls

“She’ll be here.”

Reyna eyes drifted from the clock on the wall a bit too quickly. Returning her attention to the head of hair in front of her, she tucked one more pin into Piper’s nearly-finished look. It really was amazing how much it took to make someone look “casually disheveled,” but Reyna was finally starting to be pleased with her work. 

Annabeth walked over from where she’d been sitting on Reyna’s bed and continued speaking: “She wouldn’t have had me bring a dress all the way from New York if she wasn’t planning to come.” She handed Reyna the poofy hair clip that she’d been holding. The marabou feathers matched the Barbie pink of Piper’s dress perfectly and the tiny glittering skull at the center was the finishing touch on her “pretty pink death” look for the evening. 

Reyna shrugged as she affixed the clip securely just above Piper’s ear. “I was just looking to see how much time I had to finish getting ready.” She picked up a comb to smooth the ends of Piper’s hair one last time before giving her the hand mirror. “Okay! I think you’re all set. Let me know what you think.” 

Piper stood and used the mirror to check the back of her head where tiny, sparkling bobby pins criss-crossed in a seemingly random pattern. “It’s amazing, Reyna. Better than I pictured it.” 

Reyna smiled. “Good accessories make all the difference.”

Piper scoffed. “Like I could have done this without your help. You’re so good at this stuff.”

“Circe may be an evil sorceress, but she’s a great teacher.” Reyna shrugged, collecting the last of Piper’s pins and pouring them back into the case. 

“Even I can’t argue with that,” Annabeth agreed, checking her lipstick in the mirror. Some of her blonde curls were pulled back from her face with jeweled combs, allowing the rest to tumble down around her bare shoulders. The small piece of red coral that hung around her neck was an odd choice to accompany her teal halter gown, but at least they’d convinced her to go without her camp necklace for one evening.

Hazel called from Reyna’s en-suite bathroom, and Piper hurried over to zip her into her dress. 

Reyna sat at the dressing table and finally started applying her own make-up. She was still in her robe, her hair still in rollers on her head. She’d have to hurry if she wanted to be ready with enough time to make one final check of the ballroom before the dance started. Technically, it was Frank and the rest of the Junior class that were in charge of the Feast of Floralia dance. Seniors like Reyna were supposed to relax and enjoy themselves. But she couldn’t help getting involved. 

She supposed that included agreeing to do everyone’s makeup and hair, but she really enjoyed doing it. It wasn’t often that she was called upon to show off her softer side. And she knew her friends appreciated the help. 

She risked another glance at the clock, but winced when Annabeth caught her again. “She’s on her way, I know it.”

Reyna sighed. “It’s sweet that she agreed to come. Especially when dances like this really aren’t her thing. But even when she accepted, it wasn’t for sure. They probably ended up having to hunt down some monster or another. It’s not a big deal.”

“You’re allowed to be disappointed if your date for prom doesn’t make it.” Annabeth placed a reassuring hand on Reyna’s shoulder. “But trust me, I wouldn’t count her out just yet.” 

Hazel emerged in the sleek red satin dress they’d picked out for her. Her golden hair was artfully arranged in an intricately braided up-do that had taken Reyna over an hour to finish. Pulling on her long opera gloves, Hazel looked every inch the classy, mature, 15 year old woman she was becoming. Frank was going to need oxygen. 

Reyna was just about to ask someone to help her take out her rollers when the girls heard footsteps on the stairs outside the room. “Tell Frank we’ll be there in 10 minutes. Fifteen tops,” Reyna called over her shoulder as she dusted on a final layer of powder to set her makeup. 

“Annabeth! Percy said you’re up here! Did you bring my…” Thalia burst through the door to Reyna’s bedroom, mud-splattered combat boots leaving dark smudges on the carpet. The girls locked eyes across the room and Thalia trailed off, the corners of her mouth lifting to return Reyna’s mildly embarrassed smile. 

Annabeth jumped up from the bed and nearly hugged her friend, but managed to stop herself before she ruined her dress. She snatched up a zipped garment bag from the piles of luggage strewn around the room and headed for the door. “There’s a bathroom downstairs, right?”

It took Reyna longer that she’d like to admit to find her voice. “Um, Yeah. Just off the common room. Next to my office.”

“Okay, we’ll meet you at the dance. See you in a bit.” She authoritatively shooed Thalia before her out the door. Thalia just managed to mouth “hi” before she disappeared back into the hallway. 

She was here. Reyna couldn’t seem to stop grinning. 

She looked over at Piper and Hazel, who were looking back at her with cheesy smiles and waggling eyebrows. “Okay, you two!” Reyna commanded playfully. “Get over here and help me so we can get to this dance already.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyna and Thalia share their first dance. And some cringeworthy awkward dialogue!

Reyna surveyed the ballroom with a critical, but appreciative eye. Everything seemed to be in place. Cardboard stars hung from the ceiling with fishing wire, swags of fabric covered the walls. The photo booth was set up in one corner and the ticket table was stocked and ready at the entrance. Already, a couple of boys she knew from third cohort were frantically sorting through the supplies, getting ready to welcome the first arrivals. She helped them find the missing cash box key. then moved out of the way as the doors were opened and her classmates flooded in.

The Feast of Floralia dance was an annual tradition at Minerva Academy. Because it was a school event, Reyna wasn’t the praetor here. But most of her schoolmates were also part of the legion, so they still looked to her as a figure of authority. She waited near the entrance, trying not to look nervous, as she greeted school acquaintances and complemented them on their formalwear. 

She spent a few minutes chatting with Lelia, the sophomore class president and head of fourth cohort. It took a bit of convincing, but she finally reassured the usually level-headed girl that everything was lovely and it was all going to go well. Put a sword in Lelia’s hand or a cohort at her back, and it was go time, but ask this daughter of Ceres to plan a party and she lost her nerve. Reyna guessed that with more experience, she could be an excellent organizer. Indeed, she was hoping that Lelia would eventually replace her as Praetor. But that wouldn’t be for quite a while yet.

A glance over at the door, and she hastily ended her conversation. Annabeth and Thalia had arrived. The disheveled huntress from earlier had been transformed. Thalia wore a simple black dress with a tiered tea-length skirt. The waist and tiers were trimmed with white piping. The elbow-length sleeves were also white, and ended in black trim. Her short efficient haircut had been swept forward into a stylish bob decorated with a delicate flower clip. The effect was a little bit retro, a little rock-n-roll and all Thalia. 

Annabeth noticed Reyna moving toward them and retreated, leaving them to finally greet one another. Reyna stomach churned nervously. Though they chatted on Iris message a few times a week, it had been almost two months since they’d seen each other in person. Should she kiss Thalia? She wanted to. But the kissing thing was relatively new and Reyna wasn’t sure how she felt about kissing in front of all these people. Maybe a hug? That was dumb. Kiss on the cheek? Even worse. She settled for reaching out her hands and clasping Thalia’s, their fingers squeezing together with excitement. 

“You’re here,” was Reyna’s brilliant opening line. 

“Wow. You look… wow.” Thalia replied.

Reyna refused to feel self-conscious as Thalia looked her over. Her dress seemed a little over-the-top compared to Thalia’s, but it was her last Floralia dance. And she had fallen in love with the gorgeous purple fabric from the moment she saw it. The snug corset top and off-the-shoulder sleeves showed off her toned arms and the gauzy organza overlay on the skirt gave just the right amount of shimmer as it fell gracefully to the floor. She’d done very little with her hair after the rollers were removed. Just the fact that it hung loose was a dramatic change from her normal style. She’d added a elegant gold barrette to keep the hair out of her face and let the rest of it spill down her back where it fell almost to her waist. 

“Uh, thanks. That dress is perfect on you.”

Reyna was surprised to see the confident Thalia blush a bit at the complement. “Yeah, Annabeth did a good job picking it out.” She squeezed Reyna’s hands again. “It’s really good to see you.”

“You too.” They just stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Reyna forced herself to snap out of it. She released one of Thalia’s hands, but kept the other firmly in her grasp as she started leading them over toward the tables set up against the wall. She’d left Piper and Hazel waiting there before the doors opened. “So, no trouble getting away?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“Nope.” Thalia replied easily, their clasped hands swinging between them as they walked. “There really haven’t been that many monster sightings lately. The Lady thinks they’re still regrouping from last year’s battle. Not that She lets us just hang around waiting. She keeps us sharp by setting hunts and challenges. But it’s a lot easier to sneak out on the team when you know they’re hunting a silver stag and not a horde of chimera.”

Reyna decided to ignore the fact that Thalia said “sneak out.” 

“So what’s the reason for the dance. The Feast of Florida or something like that?”

“Floralia. It’s a Roman festival to honor Flora, the goddess of Flowers.” Reyna explained “In ancient times there were games and theatrical performances, but we just use it as a good excuse to have a dance.”

“Sounds good to me, as long as the deejay doesn’t suck.” 

“I slipped him a couple of Green Day cds while he was setting up.”

Thalia had to stand on tiptoe to reach Reyna’s cheek for a quick kiss. “You’re the best.”

They were close enough to their friends by then that most of them noticed the brief display of affection. 

“Well! Aren’t you two adorable!” Percy cooed. 

“Can it, Percy,” Thalia warned. “I’m not above ruining this dance to beat you up.”

“See what happens when you invite graeci to a nice party?” Frank joked. 

“We can always say that Piper charmed their way in.” Hazel reasoned.

Piper held up her hands. “Hey. I’m not responsible for anything these two do. I’m the one dating the respectable Roman.”

“Roman defector, more like.” Reyna stepped into Jason’s personal space with a low, wolfish growl. As she expected he didn’t back away, but he also didn’t return her challenge. A tense moment passed before Jason extended his arm in front of him. “Ave, Praetor,” he said with a warm smile. 

Reyna clasped his forearm in greeting, then pulled her friend in for a hug. She missed having him around. Not for anything romantic. She’d moved past those feelings long ago. No, she missed the way they worked so well together. Frank was a wonderful Praetor and a good partner, but she and Jason had a synchronicity that came from years of teamwork and friendship. Losing him to the greeks had been like losing a limb, but she’d overcome it and was stronger for it. Like so much in her life.

Her next hug was for Nico, who was clearly not excited to be there. But he had promised Hazel, and he looked dashing in his black tux, black shirt and white tie. More importantly, he looked healthy. He’d grown again to the point where he was almost as tall as she was and the deep circles under his eyes were nearly gone. They spent a moment or two catching up before Percy and Piper herded everyone out onto the dance floor.

Reyna was just starting to regret her footwear choice when the first slow song of the evening came on. Her eyes found Thalia’s across the circle of their friends and they drifted towards each other. Reyna reached out, hands in a classic ballroom pose. Simultaneously, Thalia reached up to put her hands on Reyna’s shoulders, their arms colliding in midair. 

“Oops!” Thalia giggled. 

“I’ve never actually danced with another girl,” Reyna admitted, chuckling. 

“Well, here.” Thalia set her hands on Reyna’s waist, pulling her closer.

Reyna’s breath caught for a moment. She wrapped her arms gently around Thalia’s shoulders as they swayed to the music. Her heels exaggerated the difference in their height. She’d have to take them off before they danced again, she thought absently. 

They didn’t really speak, but the silence was comfortable. Reyna’s pulse hammered like she’d just run around the Field of Mars. With every rotation, they seemed to move closer to one another, until Reyna’s cheek rested against Thalia’s temple. 

It was like this every time she was around Thalia. Like she couldn’t think properly but she didn’t really want to. It had been infuriating at first, especially since she couldn’t understand why Thalia had that effect on her. Well, and because Thalia kept beating her at sparring matches. 

She had hoped that once she figured out that she was attracted to Thalia, the feelings of euphoric stupidity would start to fade. Not yet. But she didn’t really mind all that much any more. Not when she could have moments like this. 

The music faded and Reyna brushed a kiss along Thalia’s hairline as they moved apart. 

“That was..,” she started, unsure of how to continue. 

“Yeah.” Thalia answered. 

Reyna just smiled. At least she knew she wasn’t alone in feeling overwhelmed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia's POV! Thalia dances with her friends and Reyna makes a special presentation

Much to her surprise, Thalia was having a really good time.

Well, she wasn’t surprised at all that she was having fun with Reyna. That was a given. Since they’d met last year, she’d spent nearly every free moment she had in New Rome. 

And not just because Reyna was hot (though she was). She genuinely enjoyed Reyna’s company. 

She enjoyed hearing stories about Jason growing up.   
She liked arguing over fighting styles and teaching Reyna how to use a bow -- especially when she needed to correct her stance.   
She appreciated the chance to discuss leadership with someone of equal rank.   
Plus she loved getting under Reyna’s skin, which was surprisingly easy to do given how cool and collected she was with everyone else. 

No, what surprised her was that she was having fun at a high school dance. The music did suck, but the occasional Green Day or Garbage song helped make it bearable. The clothes weren’t too bad. She loved the dress Annabeth had found for her, and even though she would rather be wearing her boots, the black satin flats that went with the dress weren’t awful. 

Even the fact that Reyna kept getting pulled away wasn’t terrible, because it gave her the chance to hang out with Jason and Annabeth and her other friends from camp. She’d only gotten one slow dance with Reyna so far, but she’d danced with Nico for one and Annabeth for the other. (Piper had danced with Nico. Percy and Jason had danced with each other…)

When the final chords of “Welcome to the Black Parade” faded into another slow song, Thalia was actually looking forward to sitting this one out. All that screaming and jumping around meant she could use a break. But before she could make it back to their table, she found Frank standing in front of her. 

“Um. Hi, Thalia.”

“Hey, Frank. What’s up?”

“Well, I know that Reyna’s off getting ready for her presentation and I, uh, didn’t want you to have to sit all by yourself, so l, um, wondered if you wanted to dance.” 

Despite the fact that he was clearly nervous, Frank’s smile was genuine and his invitation was so sincere, Thalia felt bad turning him down. “That’s a really sweet offer, Frank, but I’m just going to sit this one out, okay?”

“Sure, um, okay.” The slightly disappointed look in Frank’s eyes made Thalia feel like she’d kicked a bulldog puppy.

“It’s not ‘cause I don’t want to. I just… can’t.” Thalia tried to explain. “‘Cause you’re a guy. And I’m a Hunter.”

“Oh. Well… then that’s….” Frank seemed to think this over for a moment. “Okay. Hang on a minute. I’ll be right back.”

He returned before Thalia could get back to their table, with Hazel in tow. 

“Hi,” the younger girl said breathlessly. “I hear you need someone to dance with.”

How could Thalia refuse?

~~~

“So Frank said that you couldn’t dance with him because he’s a guy.” Hazel asked as they swayed to the ubiquitous Bryan Adams.

“Yeah, it’s a Hunter thing.” Thalia explained. “When we join, we promise to ‘turn our backs on the company of men.’ In the old days, it meant that you couldn’t be around men at all. Not even to go on quests with them or anything. Now the rules are less strict, but they’re definitely still there.”

“And there’s a rule about dancing with guys?”

“Well, the rules aren’t written down like “thou shalt not” or anything. It’s just a sense you get. Like a gut feeling that says, ‘Nope! That’s not allowed’ when a situation arises. 

“So, when I saw you dancing with Nico earlier?” Hazel asked.

“Yeah, Nico’s an exception.”

“Because he’s gay?”

Thalia shook her head. “No… I guess it’s because of Bianca. She was our sister. And so he’s like, our little brother, in a way. I think the Lady likes us to watch out for him.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. Trying to explain the way a goddess thinks? No thanks!”

“That makes sense, I guess. And I’m glad if someone else is looking out for Nico. It’s a full time job, let me tell you!” 

The song ended and Thalia thanked Hazel for the dance as Reyna took the stage and spoke into a microphone. 

“Good evening everyone. On behalf of the class of 2011, I’d like to thank all of you for coming tonight. I’d especially like to thank everyone on the student council and the Floralia committee who helped to make this evening such a success.”

Reyna paused while the crowd cheered and applauded. 

“It is traditional, at this time, to light a candle and speak the names of those of the Senior class who can not be with us here tonight. The class of 2011 fought bravely in not one, but two wars to save the world from destruction. We honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Reyna’s strong voice proclaimed half a dozen or so names. Thalia didn’t know any of the people whose names she read, but she could call up as many or more of her own sisters who had fought and died in the last year. A lump formed at the back of her throat. 

Reyna paused at the end of her list, then continued. “In addition, I feel called to add a few more names to our vigil tonight. These warriors did not attend Minerva Academy, but their bravery and heroism helped us defeat our enemies and doubtless saved the lives of many of us here tonight. So tonight I also speak the names of Kinzie, Phoebe, Naomi, Celyn…”

The tears Thalia had been holding back spilled over as the names of her sisters were spoken aloud. Reyna would know and understand how much this meant to her. They had died, in part, to protect Reyna and her mission. They would not be forgotten. 

Thalia recognized one or two of the other names from her days at Camp Half-Blood. There weren’t many casualties from the fighting there, but there were always a few. Thalia was surprised to hear the last name read was Leo Valdez. 

There was a small sob from beside her, and Thalia wrapped her arm around Hazel’s shoulders. 

Reyna lit the candle on a stand in front of her. “May they find their way to Elysium and may we all meet again someday in the Isles of the Blessed.”

“Sic fiat semper,” the Romans intoned around her. 

There was a moment of silence, then a group of musicians - likely Apollo kids - sang a slightly painful version of “I Will Remember You” by Sarah McLachlan.

Thalia turned to Hazel. “I thought Leo had been revived! What happened?”

Hazel sniffed. “He was! We got a message from him saying he’d made it back to Ogygia and he and Calypso were headed back to camp. Trouble was, that was almost a year ago, and we haven’t heard anything since.”

“Is he in the underworld?”

“No. That we know for sure. Nico and I would know. That’s what so strange. I used to have a pretty good sense of his life force. But I lost the connection when he died and I haven’t been able to find it again.” She broke off again, a tear running down her cheek. 

Thalia walked Hazel back over to the table where Frank and the rest of their friends had gathered. Moments later, Reyna joined them. Thalia knew that if she tried to speak, she’d start crying again. So she simply took Reyna’s hand and squeezed it. Reyna nodded. Tears shimmered in her eyes as well. Like so many other things, Reyna just seemed to understand without Thalia even having to explain. 

Thalia pulled her close and they danced to the last of the maudlin tribute. As the last strangled note faded, Thalia looked up at Reyna. They both winced comically and had to hold back laughter. 

If Reyna could make her laugh at a moment like this, she was someone Thalia wanted to spend a lot more time with.


End file.
